[IC] ~ Welcome to Sanctuary ~

[The Savant]

---

Across the festival, the sheriff had no idea what his officers were dealing with while he was making sure he was more comfortable or as comfortable as one could be soaking wet. Moving around in his shoes felt somewhat gross though he was so used to water filling his boots because of horses or slipping into the lake that it was almost forgettable after a minute.

The deputy was confused and surprised on plenty of levels and decided that he needed to report to his higher-up — Thomas J. Fischer — picking up the walkie-talkie as he called over. “Hey sir, we have a little bit of a problem here on the east side of the festival,” The man was unsure of his words but it would cause communication to at least begin between the two authority figures.

Hearing the walkie-talkie going off in the truck, Tommy leaned over the seat to his clothes that were clean and dry, nicely folded on the seat. Grabbing the walkie without hesitation and reporting over, “Can ya repeat that?” Making sure he heard the man correctly before going into action and making his way all the way over to the east side of the festival.

“We have an issue on the east side of the festival grounds. A late arrival showed,” The man repeated with a sigh while trying to make sure his words were clear through the sounds of the running truck. The truck with funnel cake, the cake everyone has been waiting for.

Tommy sighed when hearing the comment and he closed and locked his truck as he began to make his way over to the part of the festival grounds that needed him. “Is this an emergency?” He wanted to make sure he shouldn’t be running or anything.

The static of the walkie-talkie was irritating to a point, “No sir, only a situation that I feel like you need to approve,” Sometimes he felt like his officers were too scared to make decisions on their own but he understood it being a festival and all. The man made his way quickly over to the east side of the festival without much delay or issue.

Upon approaching the officer he was talking to and the individual in the truck, he chuckled at the sight, “Aah'm not surprised…” Whispering to himself as he shook his head in a calm way that showed he should have known who it was. The man approached the side of the truck where Taryn Reaves was sitting and he allowed a friendly smile to the known face. “Are ya givin' mah officer a heavy amount of trouble?” His voice was teasing to a point and showed he was not having any kind of authority to process here. Placing his hands on his hips while looking into the woman’s eyes.

“What is the problem we are havin' he-yah?” Deciding to just get to the point after his little playful burst and see what Taryn was up to. This looked like Martha’s van and the funnel cake van that was here every single year. This was the late case he was hearing throughout the crowd. People would be excited that it finally showed up, but he was definitely confused why Taryn was driving the vehicle and Martha was nowhere in sight.

---

Location East side of festival
Time 3 PM
Mood Good
Interaction @Pilatus

[The Muse]

Reya's face lit up with a smile as Talie announced that she had won the little game and secured her prized amethyst geode, only briefly taking her mind off of Zack and the closeness in which he watched her. "Yay!" She exclaimed, feeling proud that her father's teachings had been valuable in some respect. Her excitement over the crystal, however, was short lived.

“Wow, see I told you you were good at everything~!”

Reya felt a jolt of electricity fire throughout her entire body as Zack's hand slid across her waist and pulled her in closer. She held her previous smile, completely frozen, but her face gradually colored itself the same shade as a ripe strawberry. Talie's request for ice cream went unnoticed by Reya; besides her scrambled thoughts, Reya could only hear the sound of her own heart trying to jump out of her chest. 'What is he doing?! Is he drunk?? He has to be. What?! What is going on. We've never been this close! AHHHH. Where is Stella?!'

Reya began to nervously giggle as Zack offered to bring ice cream back for Talie. "Yes! Ice Cream!" She confirmed, still feeling the lingering tingle of her nervous system alerting her to exactly where Zack's hand hung on to her hips. She laughed louder, awkwardly, as Zack pointed out how red her face was. "HaahhhaAHHAHAH" She side stepped out of Zack's arms and quickly spun herself around to face the rest of the crowd instead of Talie and Zack - a futile attempt to hide the redness of her face. "It's so hot out here. Are you guys hot? It's super hot. We should get ice cream, yeah. Like, right now." She began to walk away towards the nearest ice cream stand, not waiting for anyone's answer. 'What are YOU doing?! It's hot out here???? REALLY?' She cringed at herself. She was making a fool out of herself and she knew it. Reya was rarely so unhinged, but Zack's forwardness had been the last thing she expected and it had completely knocked her off balance.

"Oh." Reya paused in her step and blinked a few times as she came face to face with exactly who Zack was on the hunt for. Emily had been looking back and speaking to two blonde people whom Reya had never seen and in doing so had nearly run right into Reya's face. "Hey, Em." She greeted, feeling uncomfortable as she knew Emily would notice the tomato color of her skin as well. She turned back towards where she had left Zack and Talie, only a few feet away. "Zack!" She called, waving him over and then pointing directly at Emily. She knew she was most likely about to be on Emily's shit list, but... Reya had to make the sacrifice for the "greater good". It was either address what Reya's problem was with Zack over ice cream with him or throw Emily under the bus as soon as possible to distract him from the situation ever happening. Sorry, Emily. A sacrifice had to be made.

---

_{@Viciousmarrow@PrinceAlexus}

[The Muse]

Unrelated to the ice cream currently held in her mouth, Ana felt a chill run down her back as the Russian man requested that the child did not touch him again. The statement was cold and devoid of emotion, something she had come to know as a serious warning. She glanced over at the red headed girl, feeling a wave of anxiety for the girls safety in that moment. The jovial nature of her aura dissipated as she thought about what she could do if the attack dog of a man tried to put his hands on the girl. A pink spoon to the eye? A kick in the groin? Definitely. She could buy them enough time to run if she had to.

A sense of relief followed as the girl stepped away from the man, seemingly obeying the request and no longer wanting to test the boundaries. Ana's grip on her tiny pink spoon loosened as her eyes moved back to the Russian man, watching as he began to wipe down his jacket. 'OCD?' She pondered, taking another bite of her ice cream and wondering if that was the true cause of his outburst and not just the fact that he wanted to beat up unruly children.

Ana raised a brow as the redhead made a complete 180 and instead of throwing more insults, she chose instead to flirt. Ana smiled, deciding not to respond, and simply watched the headstrong girl walk off into the crowd and nearly crash face first into another woman. Slowly Ana brought her eyes back to the Russian man, an amused smile on her lips once more. "I'm almost certain that girl has a concussion or something." She chuckled, only half joking. The girl was definitely odd to say the least, but then again, so was this man. Sanctuary was turning out to be a hub for odd people, herself included. "I should probably go check her for a head injury." She continued, getting another chuckle out of herself.

Deciding she was done with her ice cream, half eaten, Ana tossed it into a near by trash can. "I'm Ana, by the way." She turned toward the Russian man again, unsure if she should reach out her hand for a handshake. He clearly had an issue with touching people and she was sure she had already offended him with her offer of ice cream, so she decided against it. "What's your name?"

---

_@Zora

[Expendable]

Kat Theodora Clark

---

Location: Festival | Interaction: Open / Nixie @Almalthia

---

Kat paused, frowning. Was that a forest ranger? And was she armed?

She silently reminded herself that she was Theodora Clark, a struggling artist from Hickory, Virginia, letting it run through her head before finally squaring her shoulders and walking towards Nixie. Unlike the sheriff, this was a woman, she would see more.

"Excuse me," she said, brushing her temple in case there was stray strands of blonde hair there. "Sorry, I'm not much good with crowds, but is there a state park near here? I'm new in town, you see."

State forest meant roads and trails. Lots of hiding places, not that she think she'd need to run, but best to be prepared.

[The Muse]

For at least ten minutes Levi sat with his back against the picnic table that Tommy had left him at, sitting backwards on the bench so that he was crowd facing. Outwardly he looked calm and collected, per usual, but on the inside his mind spun with different scenarios on why his best friend would have left the conversation so abruptly. What did he say that had upset him so much that he had to flee? Had Tommy expected Levi to chase after him? Levi's eyes stared blankly ahead as he got stuck within his own mind, not truly seeing anything that was happening ahead of him.

Aah really do not want to talk about this with ya, Levi, aah’ll catch ya later.

Tommy's statement played on repeat in Levi's mind as he tried to pick apart each word and the tone behind it. The way Tommy gripped his shoulder and put on a smile that Levi could easily pinpoint as fake. Did Tommy really think Levi wouldn't notice? It had been awhile, but Levi had still memorized the mannerisms of his friend. It was like muscle memory returning again now that they were face to face. Levi knew Tommy and vice versa. At least Levi thought so. That's how it had always been.

“Yoohooooo! Levi!”

Levi snapped away from his thoughts at the sound of a melodic voice calling after him, his blue eyes darting over in the direction of that lovely sound. His eyebrows raised in surprise as his gaze settled on Estella Serrano, a bright shining light amidst the rain cloud he had felt since returning to Sanctuary. "Heeeyyy Stella." He matched her playful tone, straightening up in his seat and letting his eyes take in the vision of her in a bright blue dress that amplified her features stunningly.

“How’s it goingggg? Are you having funnnn?”

"I'm better now that you're here." Normally this sort of compliment was just something he said because it made women happy, but this time, he was actually telling the truth. Stella had been the first person who came to say hello to him when he moved back and her welcome had been heartwarming. He could still remember the excitement in her eyes when they saw each other again. Granted, this was not a fair comparison for Tommy and Phoenix - Stella's little brother Miguel worked at the cafe so she had been one of the very first to learn that Levi had returned.

Admittedly in high school Levi had not paid much attention to the Serrano girl due to the fact that she was a freshman when he was a senior, but eventually he came to know the entire Serrano family well. Once he had become close to the family it made it difficult for Levi to feel good about pursuing Stella without the stab of guilt every time he saw her father Javier Serrano. Out of respect Levi had rarely allowed himself to view Stella as a potential prospect, but there was no denying that she was beautiful. This fact was more evident to him when he had laid eyes on her again for the first time in years; Stella was no longer the kid he knew in high school. It made it incredibly difficult to be respectful.

Across the street, behind Stella, Levi suddenly noticed Phoenix at one of the carnival games with the doctor he had seen earlier this morning. His eyes looked beyond Stella for a few moments, watching the interaction between the two closely. His mind quickly moved on from Chris being Phoenix's potential boyfriend to now wondering if it was the doctor. 'She'll be skipping the ferris wheel for dream boat over there.' His mind advised, forcing him to peel his attention away before he let the unjustified jealousy bubble its way to the surface. If Phoenix was going to have fun, then so was he.

"You free?" He asked, standing up from the picnic table. "I could use some cheering up." He put on his best puppy-dog like pout, begging her to play with him. "Or how about I win you something instead?" He dropped the pout and smiled, looking around to long line of carnival game booths with a variety of different prizes out on display; most of them plushies. "You're my good luck charm, after all."

---

_{@LovelyComplex}

[The Savant]

---

Children are terrifying… the man continued to think while dusting himself off and reorganizing all of his items. The woman would be more correct to assume that he freaked out because he was being touched than anything else. It wasn’t like he was ready to fight a girl. There were steps before he would fight a girl though if she was in the lifestyle business he is in… that’s free game. That wasn’t an average situation though.

Huffing in almost a humorous way, “Ve have verrry differrrent opinions of zis girrrl,” His words were almost a mumble as he began to reintroduce his suit jacket onto him. Moxi was clearly trying to be nice and not call the random and confusing girl anything mean though the tone of his voice probably exposed how he felt. The suit jacket fully being on and moving his shoulders in it before relaxing completely. He felt a little more comfortable than he did a minute or two ago.

“Da, you should…” The man mumbled these words while glancing over to a random spot somewhere on the sidewalk before his eyes returned to the blonde-haired woman. Still, he found it strange why she walked up to him. Did she want a smoke? Maybe she thought he was someone else and that offended him. He didn’t look like anyone in this forsaken community. If she mistook him for someone else, he will never talk to her again.

I’m Ana, by the way, raising a brow in disbelief. Do women not understand when a guy doesn’t want to be talked to? Are they that oblivious? I hate people… The thoughts processed through his mind before he sighed and decided that he would attempt to be social and friendly when she asked for his name, “Moxi,” He almost sounded like he was defeated when it came to the situation of being introduced to the woman. It was better than that icy cold tone and his hands slid into his pant pockets.

“Do you enjoy games?” The man continued to talk to Ana and his voice seemed to be a little brighter than his introduction while he glanced over to the cornhole game. He just wanted to play cornhole. Maybe she will play it with him. He didn’t know that it was called cornhole or how any of the points were calculated. Were there points? He had no clue.

---

Location Near the cornhole game
Time Festival
Mood Settling down
Interactions @The Muse

[PrinceAlexus]

Talie "Friendly local rock nerd"

Location
Festival grounds. USGS Stall
Mood
Playful

...

Manny was walking the edge finding a place to eat, Talie could watch the stall and while she was less confident than he was managing the public it was not too bad. Like the Parks and so people were too interested in candy, carnival and cakes. Parks, he would have to smooth over at some stage. He could be rather diplomatic, it was how he had survived growing up, able to talk way out of trouble for most part and avoid getting caught between the bikers and bangers wars .He grew up on streets where beefs soon turned to bullets and teenagers with chips on shoulders and no prospects where fast to shoot first and aim later. He was lucky to have got out there, you got out. You were dead. Or you were in a gang. That was life. His best friend at time ended up disabled for life thanks to his brother getting into the life.

He had so much to do it was tiring but genuinely worth it, he had the quad and dirt bikes running smooth as but the trucks needed more advanced work than they had tools for. Working with his hands was satisfying. He would also have to get someone to check a leak, enough work and old memories!

It was a festival.

Enjoying a fine meal of some genuine Mexican food, an ice cold beer and a relaxing bit of sunshine in the summer warmth. A low rumble in the distance saw a large truck approaching from his vantage point. Could it be the famous funnel cake? Is it missing the talk of the town?

…
Zack had Talie working hard to hold her laughter and self from breaking out into giggles at the fact he took her every joke as a direct comment and correct. Oh the fun she could have had if she was feeling mischievous. Being in a band was interesting, music was one of her things she enjoyed and even if it was a bit punk and probably less polished with just a singer, main guitar and Drummer split between two people.

It would be fun to see a local band, dancing later seemed interesting though it was if she had a decent partner. Manny was rather good on his feet, but the fact he was her work partner would have made some awkward gossip and these towns were small towns. Small towns and gossip spread faster than light. "I'll keep an ear out for you." Talie smiled genuinely at the music, Em , this Em being a good singer could be interesting even if she was not the genre's biggest fan. "Sounds fun, New music is good music i say."

Talie was now unsure about things seeing everything going on though glancing after Reya. She was not so able to judge everything but she got a unsure feeling about things. Unsure was not a great feeling for Talie especially as it centred around Reya who seemed like a potential friend, and that was valuable to her. Plus while Zack seemed harmless, better safe than sorry.

An idea struck as they left for ice cream. She had an old lipstick and foundation palette she mentioned to throw out but had not got round to it. A plan formed in her mind, thanks to all the dance lessons she was forced to attend as a child and teenager made her balance near perfect as long as she had not drunk too much and it was not half bad tipsy. Music was not her family thing but her parents were dance obsessed. So many hours spent in lessons and such.

She could perfectly fake a trip…

…

Leaving a neat "Sorry we will back I'm 15 minutes" Written into a looping hand writing with a flourish that curved away.

Following was not difficult as they were close and Zack was Zack. Reya also looked rather pretty. Her simple yet ever so well put together outfit made her very hard to lose. Talie was a little nervous and perhaps she made a fool of herself but it was worth the risk.

The mayor and Jewel stepped on stage recognising the rather elegant woman from the cafe at breakfast and an older man who looked like an old teacher, Doctor or perhaps a Liberian. He was the mayor, he just had those vibes… sweaters with leather elbow patches, an old book and soft yet firm demeanour just seemed to fit the man for some reason. Did someone mention funnel cake… no funnel cake? That would make a unhappy Talie, she had heard so much about this famed cake it would be disappointing to not find out.

"Reya, oops, sorry" Talie faked her footing which only someone who was really paying attention could notice and pretty sure everyone was too distracted by cake to have noticed. "You alright, grab my right arm if you're not" Talie spoke very softly and quickly as she righted herself with ease, and noticed that a rather short woman with bright red hair and Reya matched the two siblings together. They really did look related though he was not exaggerating that Em was like 5 foot and made Talie look rather tall at 5 '8 and she had a slim figure with all the exercise she got on her job. Seriously rocks where work… so much work. Thankfully she chose her comfortable shoes today.

"Oh, you dropped this Reya" handing her the makeup and glancing at the ice cream sign as a way out. "Shame not too, sneak 15 minutes perhaps" Talie added with a smile. Ice cream was happy food and happy food was always good.

"I seriously hope I do not miss Funnel cake," Talie grumbled slightly. The cake seemed famous and Talie loved sweet things. Rocks were nice. But cake was cake.

The festival was getting much busier, Talie noted. Maybe the real fun was at night? She saw more people circulating including an high amount of attractive people. Was country air this good? Half the town looked like they could make a romance novel cover it seemed. Dancing would be fun though!

Interactions
@Viciousmarrow@The Muse

Anyone else. Feel free!

[The Savant]

Taryn Reaves & Thomas Fischer

---

Everyone in the crowd seemed to have eyes on them while Jewel, the mayor's assistant, was making her speech. People seemed conflicted on who they wanted to look at. The famous funnel cake that was at the festival each year was finally at the festival and people’s eyes were hungry. “Everyone needs to move!!!” Tommy’s voice projected without issue and that started to get people’s attention to move while he gestured for an officer's help. Him and another officer removed the barricades from the festival border to begin allowing Taryn to drive the truck.

Wanting to move the vessel safely through the crowd, he put his arms around wide and this seemed to get people’s attention to back up. One officer was helping him. “Please move so no accidents happen!!!” The man kept his voice loud and his tone strict so people knew he was serious. Somewhat of an authority form of tone that caught people’s attention. This allowed for the majority of the crowd to move while he was about five to six feet in front of the truck Taryn was handling.

Taryn was in her element. Smiling faces and bright sun. She kept the wheels in their lowest gear, easing off the clutch pedal daintily and letting the entire truck and trailer creep along on its own without any other input. Tommy appeared to have come alive as well though she and Martha had regarded him strangely in his wet clothes when he first approached. However, there wasn’t much time to unravel that mystery as it seemed they had arrived literally, just in time. As the crowd parted for Tommy, she waved out the window with one hand while Martha waved from the other. Martha was clearly ecstatic having been elevated from roadside breakdown to VIP arrival in less than an hour. Her fortunes had been completely reversed.

“Doesn’t this have one of those loud horns?” Martha asked, exuberant.

“You mean this? Taryn gave the overhead cable a yank and the air horns popped off a short, bursting note like a freight train that could almost be felt as much as heard.

“Yes! can I try it?”

Taryn shrugged and waved her hand. “Go for it!

Martha reached overhead and pulled gently at first, not hard enough to trigger the switch.

“Martha, you gotta pull it! Taryn laughed.

To which she did and belted out a long note followed by a second in quick succession. Taryn could see the point was being made and several of the mayor’s assembly visibly flinched as they got closer. “Okay-okay, that’s probably enough.” They were both laughing.

“I’ve always wanted to do that.” Martha howled.

The explosive and energetic noise behind him was not something he was expecting and a slight movement of his shoulders went up while his head went down a little. The blast of the horn could be felt on his back and he chuckled while looking over his shoulder at the two in the giant truck.

As the horn went off once again and he could see Martha was the one pulling it and she looked ecstatic from his position. It seemed to cause many people to jump and skedaddle out of the way of the big truck. The noise was causing the crowd to stir and pay attention to what was happening. People began to chit-chat which caused a wave of chatter to happen amongst the crowd. Everyone was excited that funnel cake was finally here!

“Aah know y'all are excited but ya have to back up!” The man continued to use his outdoor voice while guiding people to make enough room for the truck. Where Taryn pulled up to on the east side allowed them to have a short travel through the crowd and Tommy found himself quickly placed into a blank space with chalk mark letters on the concrete spelling out funnel cake which was where the funnel cake was supposed to be.

Facing towards Taryn, he waved her on and pointed to the spot, “It doesn't have to be perfect. Just has to be en this spot 'n somewhat around it!” Tommy said while walking backwards to the farthest point of the plot and watching as people continued to move around the truck and let it through.

It was quickly apparent that there were just as many people following closely behind the trailer as there were people moving out of the way for the tractor. The small area meant for Martha’s truck and the few portable chairs and tables she brought along wasn’t going to accommodate a full-length semi. The bustle of the crowd was getting louder and closer as Taryn finally came to a stop as the air-brakes hissed again. There was no room for her to back up and even less for her to separate the trailer and unload. It was like being in a small room, quickly filling with water and she had to yell at Tommy over the excitement. “Tommy! I’m not gonna fit in that spot!” She shouted down from the cab. “This is it, this is where we’re at!”.

She turned to Martha, “You can still cook from up here right?”

Martha shifted in her seat a bit, looking back through the side mirror. “I mean I should, it’s just going to be a step up for people.”

“I can let the trailer down a little bit and we’ll find you some steps.” She turned and threw her door open, almost catching Tommy with it before she spoke again, completely unphased with having nearly clobbered him. She waited for him to recover, but stayed on the step to the cab so she would continue to be taller. Someone shouted her name and whistled so she blew a kiss in no particular direction which drew an even bigger response. “I’m gonna drop the deck a little bit,” She said, referring to the already low ride height of the trailer and squinting a bit in the bright sunlight. “She’s gonna start cooking right now. Just get some steps so people don’t trip, ya know?” She cocked her head a little and finally regarded him closely. “And why are you soaking wet?

What else could one do when those words from Taryn rang out. He wasn’t surprised that she couldn’t fit but he tried his best to guide her as much into the festival as he could. Shrugging his shoulders, he smiled, “It will have to do,” Was the given words while he moved out of the way of Taryn’s door. Almost got him.

The man looked up to the woman with his hands on his hips while she ordered him around. “Alright sass. Aah'll git the steps once aah help Martha out of the truck” That first part was said in such a way that rang playful. He gave Taryn another smile before walking around and helping Martha down from the truck and getting her on solid ground. She was appreciative and he decided that he would go find some steps.

Coming back around and raising a brow at the girl still proving to be tall on the step of the truck, “Ya would have loved it. Aah was en the dunk tank, ya just missed it,” Tommy chuckled at giving this information to the younger woman. Knowing Taryn she would have kept throwing and throwing. It would have been torture but she would have at least enjoyed it.

That was when he began to make his way back over to his work vehicle on the west side of the festival because he knew he had extra supplies in there. He most likely had steps or something.

---

Collab @Pilatus

[Expendable]

Kat Theodora Clark

---

Location: Festival | Interaction: Open / Nixie @Almalthia

---

Kat could feel the heat in her cheeks flaring.

She's a woman, of course she's going to notice everything.

"This.. is uh, just temporary," she sputters, taking a step back and waving her arms. "I lost my luggage, somebody stole it." And me with it.

Did I miss a tag? Kat smiled as her mind raced. I did, didn't I? Oh god, she thinks I'm homeless and I'm only asking about the forest so I can go sleep there!

"I uh, have a place," Kat insisted. "Well, it's my uncle's place, he's letting me stay there and to look after it for him...."

How fast am I talking? It's too fast, much too fast!

"I don't mind old clothes, I paint! Pictures, not houses, heheh. And you don't have to worry about old clothes...!" Except when you step in a puddle of spilled red paint and there's your bloody footprints in dried paint tracked through the rug and the bed....! And some idiot sells your rug at some art show as 'murder in the bedroom'. Oh god, don't tell her that! She's going to think you're an idiot...!

Too late.

[Viciousmarrow]

---

Location: Festival Grounds
Interactions: Talie @PrinceAlexus and Reya @The Muse

---

‘Why’d you do that?’

A ghost echoed through Em’s brain as she stepped away, squirming into her foremost thoughts.

‘...I don’t know. It was impulsive. I just felt like I could. Because it made me feel more powerful than I am.’

‘Just because you can doesn’t mean that you should. Those people had feelings, and even if they didn’t, you shouldn’t disrespect people based on their body type. That’s not fair. Do you really want to be just like the people that said those same types of things to you?’

Her inner voice was right. She knew she hadn’t made the most morally sound choice. She understood that she had lashed out because she wanted to control the situation and the people around it. It was what she did, but it never made her look good. It just hurt people. All she did was hurt people because deep down inside: she hurt.

‘...I’m sorry.’

Emily looked back at the blondes she had menaced just moments ago with a pang of guilt heavy in her heart. Melancholy was written into her expression, and a tide of self-loathing inundated the young woman. Part of her longed to apologize and make things right, but she squashed those feelings down. No, she hammered it down. What’s done was done, and she couldn’t change that. A silent shovel buried her pain, her grief, and her loneliness in a shallow grave once again. It was better this way. Sure, the next passing storm would exhume the festering emotions she didn’t want to confront, as it always did, but she’d be okay. She could get by if she was just ‘okay.’

"Hey, Em.”

Her internal dilemma was shoved aside by a familiar voice. Em blinked away her mental downpour and focused on the lovely face of Reya Parker. There was a time when a 13 year old Em had made a bouquet of flowers with the tag ‘For: The Prettiest Girl in Sanctuary’ with Reya in mind, but one of the Serrano Twins thought it was for them instead. They snatched it from her, and Em was relentlessly teased for it. Even to this day, she could still recite the jeers her classmates made about her sexuality. Just another reason she could never forgive the Serranos.

As her blue eyes ran up to meet Reya’s chocolate orbs, there was a small sense of ease that came through. What was strange though, was the curious red tint on her cheeks. A blush? Was Reya blushing because she was talking to her? A sudden panic flew through Em. She’d never met anyone that was actually interested in her before, at least not one so visibly.

“H-h-hey, Reya. W-what’s up?” she stammered out with a goofy smile, awkwardly jamming her hands into her pockets and looking anywhere but into Reya’s eyes. She didn’t understand how she could be such a goof after her brief incident with the blonde woman earlier and her momentary boldness. Maybe it was the adrenaline? But here, right now, she couldn’t keep her shit together when Reya was talking to her.

Then suddenly, even that came crashing down, as Reya lurched at her with a pointed finger and called back over her shoulder: "Zack!"

Behind her, Em noticed the silhouette of her brother and knew at once she’d been sold out: another passing storm. Even if the earlier spat between Zack and herself was minor in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that that bothered her. It was the pointing: Reya had her index finger levied at her like Em was some kind of cryptid, a spectacle for masses. Apparently, there was nothing different about her, nothing that separated her from the kids that had tormented Em. In this moment, Reya wasn’t the pretty woman Em remembered. No, she was downright hideous.

---

Yards away, Zack hesitated on the pathway to follow the flustered brunette, his attention suddenly drawn to the sound of two distant figures over the festival’s intercoms. He could make out a professional spokeslady, Jewel, and the Mayor. It was a lot of hubbub about nothing, really, but there was one important part: the funnel cakes were nearing. Oh, that sweet, sweet tasty treat… They could pour that sugar all over him.

Sugar. Pour Some Sugar On Me.

Zack snapped in a eureka moment, beaming at his own genius. He whipped out his smart phone and quickly began writing out a new set list for his band mates. It was a bit last minute, but he was more than confident they could crank out this list. Unfortunately, since this was a public, family-friendly event, most of the songs didn’t include a lot of swearing. Although she had only done a couple small live performances, this was going to be Em’s big debut: she’d be singing most of the songs this time! Yeah, she was gonna hate it, but this was the least she could do for all the trouble she’d made today.

From some distance away, he was summoned by his former classmate, who bellowed out his name with some amount of intensity. Happily, he started skipping toward Reya’s voice. Apparently Talie had decided to tag along too, from the looks of it!

---

Em glowered at Reya, her mouth very nearly on the verge of saying something she would definitely regret, until a familiar ding uttered from her phone. Quickly checking her messages, she found one from her brother. Her azure eyes widened in horror at what she saw:

Set list change:

Pour some sugar on me - Def (Em)
Timber - Kesha (Zack)
Material Girl - Madonna (Em)
Shake It Off - T. Swift (Zack)
Crazy Train - Ozzy (Em)
Believe - Cher (Zack)
Hell is for Children - Patty B. (Em)
How You Remind Me - Nickle (Zack)
Feel like a woman - Shania (Em)
maybe/drown - MGK/BMTH (Zack)
Crazy On You - Heart (Em)

“WHAT?! MADONNA?! I CAN’T SING MADONNA!” Em practically screamed, just as Reya’s form fell to the ground. Something had happened while she was distracted and suddenly there was another woman standing next to a prone Reya.

“Reya, you clumsy dope.” Her mousy voice had a bite to it. She shook her head at the brunette and gave the other woman a glare. “Did Zack really hire you goons to find me? Fuck me, he’s about as dumb as your rocks.” She pointed at this new woman’s USGS badge with a bit of an attitude. Her gaze whisked past them and noticed her taller brother’s taller form bearing down on the trio.

“Zack, what the hell are you thinking?! WHY AM I SINGING MADONNA?! OR POUR SOME SUGAR ON ME, FOR THAT MATTER?!” Em was not happy at all at the choices.

Never faltering with his smile, Zack shrugged in response. “Because I know you can do it. It’s only fair after you killed Jerry too.” Em huffed in resignation with a roll of her eyes. It was going to be a little weird singing a sexually charged Def Leppard in front of this crowd, but... that one she at least felt comfortable about.

“Great job by the way, Reya! I know you were the right pick. I don’t think I could’ve found her without Talie of the UPS and our town’s one and only Reya Parker.” He quirked an eyebrow at the brunette's prone body, unsure how she managed to get down there. Not a bad view though!

“It’s USGS, you moron. It’s literally on her badge.” Em quipped.

“Whatever, pipsqueak.”

[The Savant]

---

Being new to the area caused him to continuously look around the festival and memorize faces and shop names. Everything was busy and the energy was lively in the immediate area. It was relaxing to a point. A way different energy than his workplace atmosphere. He was glad that he could take a break from it for at least a day and enjoy a community-based event.

As another individual walked up, he wondered if this person knew PJ, but he quickly found out that they did not know each other. Other than that, Archer offered a warm and welcoming smile towards the other individual who started to talk to PJ but he continued to look around since he wasn’t directly in the conversation. It seemed like something more on PJs knowledge and he was somewhat distracted by the loud horns and people gathering around a massive truck.

Noticing twenty dollars was being handed to him, he was confused at first, but he connected the dots quickly when PJ wanted sweets and the funnel cake truck had arrived. “I guess I can be a knight in shining armor,” His voice was playful as he chuckled at how PJ referenced it. A knight in shining armor. That reminded him of some people he had to deal with in the past at his job. Being a doctor, you would hear that sometimes. People were grateful for you being a fantastic physician or surgeon. You would truly be their knight in shining armor and it was gratifying to know you helped someone.

Getting funnel cake was not as glorious or rewarding but he enjoyed helping so he began to wander off, “I will be back as soon as I can, that line is getting massive!” He waved the two of them off before disappearing into the crowd. He didn’t disappear as well as others could. His ginger hair stuck out like a sore thumb along with him being one of the taller people on Sanctuary.

---

Location With PJ - Going to get Funnel Cake
Time After 3 PM
Mood Content
Interaction @Almalthia

---

---

The man went to his truck to figure out if he had any type of stairs or a black that was lifted or something to help people step up onto the truck. Getting up onto the one wheel and looking down into the bed of the truck. He had quite a few things at first sight though none of them were helpful. Then he noticed he had a platform and he stepped into the back of the truck to move a few things before pulling it over to the edge.

Stepping back over the wall and onto the tire, he let himself fall down onto the concrete and lifted the platform out of the truck. It was somewhat of an awkward platform for him to carry by himself but it would work. Making his way back over to the Reaves' truck, he glanced around and then decided to position it where he thought was best. It was just a wooden platform that was hollow. Every time someone steps onto it, a thud might be heard. “Ya have your stairs!” He called out before removing himself from the area.

Now he needed to go win a bear for Talie. He promised. The man was not keen on breaking promises or having promises broken. They meant something to him. Going over to the game Talie was talking about and looking at the toys they had to offer. The bears or the larger bears were massive. A variety of different toys and different sizes were at hand, all for different amounts of those smurf-like guys you had to shoot. The bear was one-hundred and fifty smurfs because of its size. Each game had twenty-five forty smurfs come around depending on how good of a shot you were and each game was five bucks. Calculating that in his head to figure out if he had enough in his wallet, he had way more than it should cost him even if he struggled with his shots.
Then he noticed something that he thought Nixie would like… a pegasus stuffed animal and now he had to win that too. The worker said that the pegasi are made of different materials and are massive as well are two hundred points. Tommy shrugged his shoulders, “Aah might be he-yah fo-wah awhile,” As he handed over five dollars. The game began with playful music to give you time to get ready to shoot the pellets at the targets.

Twenty little smurf-like guys came out and began to walk themselves across the lands. Some farther and some closer. Some would go behind something for a second or two. Then he began to shoot. Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Moving slightly to aim. Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! “You are a good shot!” The worker complimented his aim as the little guys all ran away. “You have one hundred points,” He offered the score as he gestured to a few smaller selections, “You can pick out of these and get one of something,”

Tommy shook his head at the idea of that. “I need three hundred and fifty points for what I want,” His tone was playful while giving the man another five before getting ready. As the smurfs began to exit the sides, he waited a few seconds before firing the gun. Ping! Ping! Ping! Moving himself over to the other side. Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Repositioning himself to the other side, he was getting them while they were coming out instead of letting them hide behind the hills, trees, and houses. Ping! Ping! The thuds of the little pellets could be heard knocking against the material. The material sounded like a thin piece of metal as he aimed his next shot. Ping-Ping-Ping-Ping-Ping! In rapid fire was able to fire five right in a row as he looked around the area with his gun before firing again. Ping! Ping! The sound was slightly irritating when trying to focus though he was doing pretty well at ignoring it for the time being. Ping! Ping! Ping! As Tommy looked over to the worker with a smile, the worker sighed, “You are better than most. Ninety points plus one-hundred and ninety gets you to a total of two-hundred and eighty points.”

“Aah'm almost at mah goal! Aah should play this game more often,” It was probably impossible for the worker to look any more unenthused than he did at this time. Handing over another five bucks since he needed at least seventy more points to get both items. Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Those ones were easy as he looked around before aiming again. Ping! Ping! Ping! Stretching his head to the side, his neck popped, while he adjusted his shoulders and caused those to pop too. He was getting into this. Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! The worker seemed to be in disbelief as Tommy shot in rounds without issue. Tommy chuckled in amusement as he took more shots. Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! This was pretty easy and fun! He knew he had more than enough.

The worker sighed, “Two-hundred and eighty points plus one-hundred and eighty points. That is a total of four-hundred and sixty points,” The man gestured to the larger animals. Tommy picked the bear and pegasus without hesitation. “You still have one hundred and ten points. The biggest thing you can get is one of these,” The man showed a variety of medium-sized toys. Tommy ended up picking a plushie that he would like for himself, a dog and he was on his way.

That was a really pleasant game and he enjoyed his time at the booth but he definitely wanted to get this bear to Talie and put this pegasus with Nixie’s presents. The man decided that he would be wandering around and attempt to find Talie and give her the prize she was disappointed in not getting earlier. Maybe he would show off his stuffed dog as well. He liked it.

As he wandered around, he was looking out for Talie and he heard her voice before he saw her. Where did that voice come from? Tommy thought as he looked around before he heard it again and it signaled him to Talie’s location, as he walked over with a friendly smile on his face, “Hey rock missy, aah got ya that bear,” The man slightly judged her with the giant stuffed bear in a teasing manner.

---

Location By Talie
Time 3 PM
Mood Dryer than what he was and happy
Interaction @PrinceAlexus

[The Muse]

Seeing the defeat and betrayal in Emily’s green eyes nearly broke Reya’s heart. "Em, I’m sor- AHH!" With zero warning, Reya was bulldozed over and sent flying face first towards the street. Luckily, in the nick of time, Reya was able to save her face by putting her arms out when she came in contact with the ground. Unluckily, her knees and hands did not come out unscathed. She winced in pain, feeling the burning sensation of her skin ripping against rock. Staying on the ground for a moment, Reya looked through her hands and stared at the black asphalt that dug into her palms and knees. "What the fuck?" She mumbled to herself, afraid to look up at the crowd who had just witnessed her tumble to the ground. 'I could just… roll… all the way home…' She pictured herself rolling up into a ball and leaving the fairgrounds like an armadillo. If only…

Sighing, she looked up and found Talie picking her up off the ground, asking her if she was okay. “I’m stellar." She said sarcastically with a laugh, standing up and dusting off her shorts. Looking at the makeup that Tallie offered to her, Reya raised a brow. This clearly wasn’t hers. Reya met eyes with Talie, realizing at that moment that Talie thought she was helping. 'She thinks Zack is a creep..' She thought, amused at the idea that Talie was trying to follow “girl code” and get her out of a situation with a weirdo. She chuckled a bit, "Some rescue effort there." She whispered to Talie and put the makeup into her pocket for safe keeping.

Her eyes then found someone that Reya had met more often than she would have liked due to her fathers habits; Thomas Fischer. Her heart sank at the sight of him. Thomas was nice enough, but seeing him brought visions of the past that Reya didn’t want to remember. "Hey Sheriff.” She greeted, taking a step back from Tommy and Talie. “Oh, don’t mind me.” Reya said, noticing the teddy bear that Tommy was offering to her and not wanting to interrupt any romantic moment that was supposed to be happening.

Examining her palms and picking out small rocks that were jammed into her skin, Reya listened to a speech that was taking place on the large platform stage near the center of the festival grounds. ‘Did she say… date auction?’ Reya shook her head at the idea and looked further down to her knees which were still seering in pain. She clicked her tongue as she saw her right knee now adorned with scratches and a small amount of blood building. Hopefully that wouldn’t scar. As she continued listening she began examining her clothes to see if anything had ripped or stained. Reya tensed as she heard Em yelling behind her about Madonna, forcing her to turn to see Zack had made his way over to the group. Lovely. Her cheeks still held the embarrassment from the last ten minutes and this was the cherry on top of the entire situation. "Uh… thanks?" She said in response to Zack complimenting her investigative “skills.” Today was going terribly.

Looking past the two siblings, Reya noticed a large semi-truck sitting in the middle of the fairgrounds just as Talie mentioned not wanting to miss out on the funnel cake. ‘So that was the horn I heard…’ She thought, having heard a horn blare through the crowd noise when she had been trying to leave Zack’s grip on her hips. Reading the “Reaves” name on the side of the truck, Reya rolled her eyes. Figures. That family would think they could just park anywhere they felt and make a grand entrance on top of it.

"Martha’s is here!" She exclaimed, noticing that the food truck was sitting on top of the trailer that the Reaves truck had pulled in. Nevermind the Reaves infuriating entitlement! They could do anything they wanted if it meant getting the funnel cake into the fairgrounds. Reya turned to Talie and grabbed her hand, "Let’s go!" She began pulling Talie in the direction of the food truck. Suddenly all Reya’s problems melted away. Who cared about her bloody knee, scratched up hands, the fact that Talie knocked her over into the ground or that Zack probably thought she was an idiot! She came for funnel cake today and she was going to get it!

As they reached the front of the truck, Reya took note of Taryn Reaves having a chat with Jewel Navarro. Both notorious figures around town. Nonetheless, Reya couldn’t deny how impressive the two of them were. Reya had always admired Taryn’s grit and skill with a truck the size of this behemoth. She didn’t know Jewel very well, but the festival she had put on wasn’t half bad.

Turning her attention back to the food truck, Reya pulled Talie into line with her and noted the handwritten sign taped onto the side of the truck. "Free?!" She grinned with excitement, glancing over at Talie. Maybe today was turning around after all. Her knee still hurt, but the funnel cake would surely fix it.

---

_{Interactions: @Zora@PrinceAlexus@Viciousmarrow
Mentions: @Pilatus@QueenBea}

[PrinceAlexus]

Talie "Friendly local rock nerd"

Location
Funnel cake
Mood
Too many to count

...

To say Talies plan went wrong was like saying the town had a passing thing for Ferris Wheels and funnel cake. No Sanctuary loved those two things. And her plan went as wrong as these towns people loved those things. Her stomach turned helping Reya up. It was least she could do bowling her over. Who knew she would fall over? Would she hate Talie? Or blame her?

Talie felt too embarrassed to whisper back, she had meant to help and hurt her, that was really a Talie kinda day for sure. Only for Talie the moment was gonna get worse, better, worse and oh so cute at the same time... Reya could tease her all she wanted, either buy drinks or offer Reya use of the first aid kit she had thrown into the mess that was her F350. Her USGS job required she least know basic first aid to patch up minor injuries etc.

The Sheriff timed his arrival to a tee. She saw the rather large bear blushing slightly but thankfully her tanned skin hid it better than Reyas had. She expected like a small bear, she did not expect him to win one of the biggest bears they had. No. No thinking of Hallmark movies.... cliche as it all was.

Talie failed to reboot her own distracted mind a few seconds later. Eyes slightly wide at the bear but thankful, and happy. "Bardzo dziękuję Tomasz" Talies first reply came out softly in fluent Polish before quickly correcting herself and clarifying in English like she should be speaking right now. The past 30 seconds had her brain still catching up. "Thankyou, i did not... " losing her own words, taking the large cuddly bear and making it poke him for judging her with a large soft paw good natured.

Talie was confused about what to do. While this happened Zack and Em faded into her background and that was an achievement in itself, between the bright red hair and no shortage of confident clothes. Turning back to her main current situation and what to do. "Save me a dance, Smurfy, a dog or an octopus would have been enough." Talie teased back quietly for being called Rock Missy. Talie was feeling impulsive leaning on her toes for more height and gently, barely kissed his cheek in thanks. She was 5'8, but he was still tall enough that she had to gain a little height.

Talie could see Manny speaking to a police officer looking in their direction looking entirely too smug to be any good at all. Maybe her luck was changing and maybe just maybe the universe would cut her some slack right now. Of course not. Manny would never let her hear the end of it. Ever. Hopefully he was too distracted by whatever was coming. Of course he would not be.

Any having to deal with Em and zack was caught short fast by them falling into a inter sibling argument over songs, the somewhat aggressive response to her badge was lost and her ire redirected at her brother. Fine by Talie, she did not want to have to handle that, knocking over Reya and Tommy all at the same time in under minutes. Whilst they argued, Talie felt a hand grab her and a moment had to work out who it was before realising it was Reya. Funnel cake! The deafening horn in the distance signalled funnel cake. She even recognised the truck or least the badge on its large side. The logging company had to radio a few times to check and fix the monitoring stations near one of the log roads and make sure she was clear to go. The roads were sometimes one track and the biggest truck won. Hers was smaller so she had to check on CB for if anyone was heading down.

"Got to go, i'll see you tonight. Get dry, you'll catch a cold and really be blue!" Talie spoke before Reya called her away, the first part brought a promise and the last part, well it usually was a woman who had more sense than the men... and he probably had not even changed his boots from being dunked. Letting Reya pull her, the bear was still under her arm but that was a minor problem.

"Tommy was one to show me around town when I got here and helped me find my feet. I have a first aid kit in my truck if you need it" Talie offered, Reya probably would wonder why the outsider was on good terms with the local Sheriff, though that meant she was bound for a bunch of questions. He was too wet to hug, that sounded the worst excuse ever. The second offer was to make up, not everyone liked doctors and some liked to treat their own hurts.

Noticing Jewel and the female driver, now she recognised the truck as one that had been on radio and passed her hauling Timber down hill. The truck had held the run near perfectly and her mining background meant she had seen A Lot of trucks. She gave them both a wave and while not really met, did appreciate the skill it took to put this event together and also to drive what the woman did with such precision and confidence. "Least that's one good thing" Talie returned the smile at the idea of not only Funnel cake but free funnel cake at that.

Just enjoy it Talie thought as she offered an arm to help Reya on the steps as she had fallen over recently. They could find a spot to eat Funnel cake, talk and perhaps help Reya at least clean up the cuts properly with an antiseptic wipe etc. Helping people was not strictly her job, but would make a rather bad impression to not offer at all.

Mentions
@The Muse@Zora@Viciousmarrow

Passing
@Pilatus@QueenBea

[LovelyComplex]

_{TIMESTAMP: Day
LOCATION: The Festival}

____________________________________________________________________


_{@The Muse & @LovelyComplex}
____________________________________________________________________

Gleaming at her friend, a smile never leaving her face, Estella observed him quietly as he used his charming words, which she was sure he used on plenty of other girls, and took in the sight. The sight of her. She knew what they had wasn’t like what he had with other girls. She was his friend and he was her’s. She knew there was a special place in his heart that was just for her as there was for Nixie and Tommy. Though, over the years and because he left, not bothering to call or text, or even write, things were awkward. She knew that.

She also knew that as much as she and her friends clashed, may it be because Levi broke Nixie’s heart, or Tommy was being overbearing and telling her what to do, they promised her, no matter where they go, no matter how much they drift apart, no matter what changes and what stays the same, they’d always find their way back to each other. They were each other’s home.

Inhaling deeply as his gaze shifted past her, Estella took a moment to pull her phone out of her brown leather purse, which was handcrafted by Celi and embossed with painted flowers. While most would think she was checking her texts, she put the selfie camera on to see behind her, using her right hand to subtly shift her phone to look past her arm. It didn’t take long before she caught sight of red hair she knew too well. There was a moment where her mask dropped; her once kind eyes, void of emotion. She breathed out and kept quiet, watching him carefully.

When he ripped his attention away from staring at their mutual friend, her smile was back on, her beautiful, big amber eyes sparkled, and she changed her phone camera to normal mode directing it to him. When he asked if she was free and that they should spend time together, she quickly snapped a couple of pictures and playfully grinned, momentarily changing the subject, “I need to update your face! See,” she turned her phone towards him, “you look like a babyyyy,” Stella teased, showing a photo she took of him his senior year as he laid in the grass of her ranch, trying to nap under the blazing sun. “And yes, yes. I’m free,” she enthusiastically nodded.

Gasping joyfully, she drawled, giving her best mid-atlantic, Hollywood starlight voice, “You’ll win something for lil’ oh me?” before turning her phone around and placing it on her chest. Her enticing gaze never left his arctic blues, always looking deeply into them and giving dear Levi her undivided attention. Her head was tilted slightly downward as she batted her eyelashes. She looked away, searching for the right booth. “I’m just delighted you want to spend your day with me, Mr. Brooks. Oh I do wonder,” she purred as she found the game she wanted to try. “Are you still good at that basketball game?” She looked back up at him, ready to play. The twins present could wait.

Levi laughed as he looked at the picture Stella had on her phone, unaware that such a picture had ever even existed. He did remember those days like they were yesterday, however. When he was in California he sometimes wished he could have gone back to the Serrano family’s ranch just to clear his head. “We can take a better picture than that, together.”

As Stella put on a “damsel in distress” type accent, Levi looked down at her and smirked, intrigued by her equally playful nature. He held her gaze as she stared up at him and batted her eyelashes dramatically, taking the moment to appreciate the way her eyes reflected gold against the sunlight. “I thought you’d be too busy running around with your family to spend time with poor ole’ me.” He mimicked her accent and played along with the theatrics. Gently, he took her hand into his and bowed his head to her. “It is I who is delighted to have you with me on this fine day, m’lady.” He kissed the top of her hand as if she were royalty and he was but a lowly peasant, simply grateful to bask in her magnificent presence.

“Am I still good at the basketball game?” He laughed in hubris and stood again, releasing her hand from his. “Of course. Care to get your ass kicked, miss Serrano?” He grinned, feeling like a kid challenging her. As they made their way to the nearest basketball setup an idea popped into his mind. What was a game without some stakes involved? “Loser has to buy the winner a drink. You in?”

“I’ll raise you,” Stella countered, crossing her arms as she looked up at him and then the game. The worker waited on them to pay and play. “If I win, I get to give you a dare. If you win, same thing. If one of us makes all shots, we get to add a truth to that. No matter the subject, you have to answer and I will know you’re lying. Same thing goes for you to me.” She stepped forward and gently booped Levi’s nose, giving a devilish smirk, “If you’re down, why don’t you go first? Mr. I’m-the-best-at-this-game. Make me nervous, Captain.” She winked at him, not revealing her cards. If there was one thing she knew of her dear friend it was he didn’t know her. Not really. He left and didn’t see her change and grow. There was no doubt in her mind when he thought of her, he saw the little girl he knew many years ago. She wasn’t little anymore.

Levi raised a brow, intrigued by her suggestion. He looked her up and down, noting how short the little thing was. How did she have so much confidence in basketball? “You want me to dare you to kiss someone, don’t you?” He quipped, clearly assuming that he would win and have to give her a dare. “You’ve got yourself a deal.” He turned towards the man who was running the basketball stand and paid for both Stella and himself to play. As soon as the one minute timer began, the machine dropped several basketballs for Levi to grab and start throwing. He quickly picked up one of the balls and tossed it expertly into the hoop with ease. “HA!” He exclaimed out of excitement. He hadn’t lost his touch yet! Without hesitating he picked up the next ball and tossed it, but this time the ball smacked the rim of the hoop. His smile instantly dropped. Damn. He side eyed Stella to see the joy in her face as the ball bounced back to the start. Quickly he picked up the next ball, then the next, and the next… until one minute was over. By the end of it Levi had missed only two shots. Still pretty good, but not perfect. “Okay, okay. It’s been a while. This is just a warm up.” He laughed and stepped aside for Stella to begin her round.

“A warm up?” Stella placed her hand on the ball, letting their fingers graze one another before pulling it to her. “I don’t remember that being part of the deal.” She commented, situating herself in front of the game. As the timer began, she casually talked, while never losing her focus on the net. “It’s funny, Levi,” she chuckled, aligning her elbow with her shoulder, the ball sitting on her finger pads. Her grip was firm and her stance was that of someone who’s practiced, more often than not. “Did you forget that you got my little brother into basketball?” Smoothly, she pushed the ball upward with her shooting hand, jumping slightly forward, before releasing the ball and following through. “Someone had to make sure he knew the game after you…”

Swoosh.

“Left.”

Her amber eyes glanced at him, letting that last word linger, in the air. She continued, “And,” Gracefully, the ranch girl returned her attention to the net and shot another shot, the same way she did before. Perfect muscle memory. “This game is here every year…” and just like that, her voice trailed off as she picked up the pace. Like she could do this in her sleep, Estella Serrano shot nothing but net. When all ten shots made it in, she gently flung the ball back to the worker and didn’t bother grabbing herself a prize. Seeing that dumb, shocked face on Levi was the best reward she could ever get. Twirling on her toes to face her dear friend, she patted her dress and baited, “…Why wouldn’t I play? Seeing how this is your favorite game. And yet.. you forget, we used to play together. All the time.”

There was a brief silence between the two. They were old friends who had plenty to relearn from one another and even more things to challenge. Whether they were aware of it or not, there was a spark between them. There was something. The silence didn’t last long but it was long enough for her to slow down her racing heart from all the excitement and nerves. She was having fun. She hoped he was too. Stepping forward, inching closer to him, Stella stuck her tongue out and put her hands behind her back. “I win. Want to play again?”

A stab of guilt hit Levi’s heart as Stella mentioned her brother and having to pick up for his absence. He said nothing and did not outwardly react to her comment, but his mind began spinning over what she had said. He had never really considered that him leaving had affected anyone very much at all. As she continued talking and scoring, an amused smile slowly formed on his lips. She was genuinely impressing him; he had not expected to be bested by her, even if they had played this together long ago.

Levi slow clapped as Stella took the victory and he accepted defeat. “You’re a little hustler, hmm?” He joked, “You weren’t this good when we used to play together.” He retorted, chuckling. “Well, I did accept the terms of your challenge. I’m no sore loser. What’s the truth and dare you want from me?”

Rather than immediately tell him what she wanted, Stella finally turned to the worker and chose a big, horse plushie as her prize. Walking away from him, expecting him to follow, she found a group of kids and went straight to the smallest girl. “Hey, Lily,” the songstress approached and brought herself down to the kids’ eye level. “We noticed you really wanted this, so big Brother Levi,” Estella gestured to her friend and smiled, “Worked really hard to get this for you.” The little girl’s reaction was wholesome as her eyes widened, going from teary from constantly losing games to sparkles and excitement.

The girl named Lily didn’t hesitate and grabbed the horsie from Stella. Embracing the plushie, she glanced up at the handsome, older boy and blushed. It was her friends, who were a few years older than her, that spoke up and thanked Levi, explaining that they tried over and over again but couldn’t get enough shots in for the big prize. The group seemed like a younger version of their own friend group. Two girls. Two boys. The charmer, the mother, the protector and the dreamer. The motherly friend whispered something into the other girl’s ear. Lily nodded and with her voice muffled against the stuffed animal, she stammered, “T-thank you, big brother.”

The moment came and went, and the charming boy was quick to grab Lily’s hand to lead his friend group to the next fun thing. It wasn’t long before Estella did the same, grabbing onto Levi’s hand but instead of him taking the lead, she did. “I’ll save the truth for a later date. As for a dare…” her voice trailed off. Turning away from her old friend, her gaze falling on the stage. “Before the day is over, I dare you to go up there, take the mic and do a public apology. I thought, hm. Maybe I’d give you something dirty, but…” the mischievous girl smirked, her words and actions having more intention than Big Brother Levi realized. “...that would be too easy for you. So, you’re going up there and you’re going to speak from your heart. Not your dick. Tell me you’re sorry. Sorry for breaking your promise and leaving me.” Her amber eyes did sadden for a moment before she buried it quickly, shaking it off and continuing, “I’ve forgiven you, obviously, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to torture you.” A giggle escaped her lips as she squeezed his hand. “Or are you going to be a chicken shit?” She poked, before teasingly clucking, “Buk buk ba-gawk!”

“Oh, no, uh, that wasn't me.” Levi mumbled and shook his head in response to Stella putting the nice gesture on him instead, not liking how it made him feel like a fraud. He cringed as the child thanked him anyway, forcing a half-assed smile. He glared playfully at Stella as the children left, making it clear that what she had done had made him uncomfortable. His eyes softened, however, as she intertwined her fingers with his and pulled him in another direction. Willingly, he let her.

His smile dropped as Stella presented her dare to him, feeling anxiety and guilt grip at his heart. He stayed silent for a moment, staring into her eyes to see if she was joking with him or not. It was shocking enough to hear her use vulgar words which she had never used when they were children, but seeing the momentary sadness flash across her face made his heart squeeze. What he had thought was a light hearted time out with her was turning out to be quite the opposite. Apparently he had signed up for a very long guilt trip instead. Briefly, he thought about running from this entire situation and returning to the cafe to help his father instead of dealing with the repercussions of his actions.

Deciding he was done running, he squeezed Stella's hand gently with his own. The fact that she thought he broke the promise broke his heart. “I didn't break the promise, Stell.” He frowned, keeping his eyes on hers. His naturally playful demeanor was long gone now. “I didn't forget about you.” He defended, “I thought about you all the time. And Phoenix, and Tommy.” He sighed, thinking for a moment about all the times that he missed calls and texts and never returned them. “I just… I didn't think you or anyone would care that much if you didn't hear from me.” He shrugged, admitting the truth. He had especially felt this after what had happened between him, Phoenix, and Kitty before he left. They'd be better off not hearing from him in his eyes.

He pulled her into a tight hug then, pressing her body into his. “I would never forget about you.” He whispered to her, resting his chin on top of her head. Sighing, he closed his eyes and accepted his fate. “Jesus, Stell….” His eyes found the platform stage in the center of the festival. “I'm gonna need a few more drinks in me if I'm going up there.” He had never been one to back down from a dare…

Stella didn’t say anything. Not right away. Instead she buried her head into his chest. Closing her eyes, she listened to him explain his piece and breathed in his scent. Truth be told, she hated him. She hated how easy it was for him to come back and pretend no time had passed. How freely he could live, without a care in the world. Maybe there was more to her built up spite than him leaving. Maybe it was the fact that he left her behind. She really did hate how he made her feel. “Well then,” she whispered, not moving out of his embrace. “We should start drinking then, shouldn’t we?”

And drink they would.